CV & Cover Letter Guide

In the development sector, your CV and cover letter must show two things fast: that you can do the job, and that you understand the context. This guide shows you how.

The NGO CV structure that works

1. Header: name, professional title, city and country, email, phone, LinkedIn. No photo, age or ID numbers unless the advert asks.
2. Profile (3 to 4 lines): who you are, years of experience, sector focus and your strongest results.
3. Key skills: 6 to 10 skills that match the advert: e.g. MEL, grant management, KoboToolbox, safeguarding, budget management.
4. Experience: most recent first: job title, organisation, location, dates, then 3 to 6 bullets on results.
5. Education & training: degrees, certifications and relevant short courses.
6. Languages, referees and extras: languages with level; referees “available on request” unless requested.

Write results, not duties

Use action verbs (led, designed, trained, negotiated, reduced, secured), numbers (people reached, budget, % change) and name donors and frameworks where relevant (e.g. USAID, EU, FCDO, logframes, Sphere standards).

The cover letter in four paragraphs

1. Why this role: name the position and why the organisation’s mission matters to you.
2. Your best match: two examples that answer the top requirements in the advert.
3. What you bring: skills, languages, context knowledge or networks that set you apart.
4. Close: availability, thanks and a clear sign-off. Keep it to one page.

Common mistakes

• One generic CV for every application.
• Five-page CVs, aim for 2 to 3 pages (UN “P11”/personal history forms are the exception).
• Listing duties without results.
• Unexplained gaps or unclear dates.
• An unprofessional email address or file name, use “Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf”.
• Ignoring the application instructions (format, reference number, deadline time zone).

Before you press submit

• The CV mirrors the advert’s key requirements and wording.
• Every bullet shows a result or scale.
• Dates, titles and organisation names are consistent.
• Saved as PDF unless another format is requested.
• Spell-checked, and read aloud once.
• Applied through the official source, and no fee requested.